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Robert Gates's 'long goodbye'

Just letting go seemed to be the hardest part for Robert Gates. | Reuters

“You’re setting a very low standard of likeability,” Tom Donnelly, director of the Center for Defense Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, said of Rumsfeld. “The contrast couldn’t be greater.”

The Pentagon ceremony honoring Gates on Thursday was resplendent with pomp, bristling with guns and flashing uniforms. On hand were the Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps in Revolutionary War uniforms, four cannons making the 19-gun salute and the color guard carrying the U.S. flag, flags of all the military services and those of all 50 states plus D.C. and the territories.

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Gates, who toured the River Terrace Parade Field to review members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, received two standing ovations.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that Gates’s tart candor is key to his appeal. “He tells it straight — no bull, no fancy words.”

And Gates “can throw a barb with the best of them,” Mullen said. “Like the time he called Washington the only place in the world where someone can walk down lovers’ lane holding their own hand.”

For all his storied acerbity, Gates in the end showed the soft, emotional side of goodbye. He choked up delivering a final commencement address May 27 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. And he grew sentimental Thursday when Obama surprised him with the Medal of Freedom.

“We should have known a couple of months ago; you’re getting pretty good at this covert ops stuff,” Gates quipped in a nod to the Osama bin Laden mission.

Turning more serious and reflecting on his admiration for the troops, Gates said, “Looking forward to this moment, I knew it would be very difficult for me to adequately express my feelings for these young men and women — at least in a way that would allow me to get through this speech.”

Gates also choked up in early June as he bid farewell to Marines at Forward Operating Base Dwyer in the bleak, violent desert of Kandahar province, where fighters live in trailer-like boxes known as “cans.” It was his 12th and final trip to Afghanistan.

“I’m probably more responsible for your being here than anybody except the president. I’m the guy who signed your deployment orders,” Gates told the Marines. “Every day that I’ve been in the job, that has weighed on me. And as a result, I have taken a sense of personal responsibility for making sure you had what you need to succeed in your mission — to try and do everything we could to bring you home safe,” he said.

“My admiration for you all, my affection for you all, is without limit,” Gates said. “And y’all will be in my thoughts and prayers every day for the rest of my life. So thanks for your service.”

He has a lot of skills and abilities and will be working for Obama who has few skills and abilities. Obama is a ditherer Petraeus does yes or no Obama follows his Teleprompter - Petraeus does a analytic study Petraeus succeeds and Obama fails!

Yet, our media praises Obama which shows you the capabilities of the Media!

Bob Gates will go down in history as one best and most respected public sevarnts... He's served many presidents and was instrumental in righting the bumbling affairs of the last Secretary of Defense... He is and will always be respected by our military leaders.., down to the enlisted men... Happy trails, Mr. Secretary.., we thank you for your great service....

WE lose the good guys and keep the incompetent ones! Now, we can praise the Muslim Brotherhood at will. Now, we can blast through money Now, we have to see how many "Yes Men" are in positions of leadership! Our foreign policy skills smell at best - We reward terrorists and terrorism and jump on the bones of the peace loving democrat countries in the middle east - There is only one - and it is despised.

It seems like all the DECK CHAIRS in the HMS Obamatanic are being shifted to view the upcoming Iceberg.

California just passed a budget aiming them with greater accuracy at the Bankruptcy Courts.

As a member of the Cold War generation, I started serving in 1976 and have known of Mr. Gates' service to our Nation for a very long time. I was privileged to be there today when we "Lined the Staircase" at the Pentagon River Entrance for his final walk from the 3d Floor to the door. I've seen a lot leaders come and go but Mr. Gates was truly the man we needed for this time in our Nation's history. For those of us who work at the Pentagon whether in uniform or coat & tie, we know what he meant to us and more importantly, what he did for our deployed troops in harm's way. We will miss his leadership and we wish him a wonderful retirement. He definitely earned it.

As a member of the Cold War generation, I started serving in 1976 and have known of Mr. Gates' service to our Nation for a very long time. I was privileged to be there today when we "Lined the Staircase" at the Pentagon River Entrance for his final walk from the 3d Floor to the door. I've seen a lot leaders come and go but Mr. Gates was truly the man we needed for this time in our Nation's history. For those of us who work at the Pentagon whether in uniform or coat & tie, we know what he meant to us and more importantly, what he did for our deployed troops in harm's way. We will miss his leadership and we wish him a wonderful retirement. He definitely earned it.

It is most difficult working for someone so incompetent a leader as Obama!

It's the basics of having low expectations, low standards. Gates, like most of Obama's military strategy, is a holder from Bush the Junior's administration.

Everyone that BHO has installed or snuck into his administration thinks they know what is good for business, for the country, though precious few have ever funded a start-up, paid a payroll or been responsible for other than thinking! What a load of sheep dip.

It is tempting to give Gates an "attaboy". I can't do it. He served under 2 presidents with diametrically opposed ideology, patriotism, concepts of exceptionalism and foreign policy. He either is a lackey or a chameleon. He never spoke up about the borders. He did not resign in protest over Libya. He allowed NATO to take over an invasion that the U.S. started. He never took on Napolitano about national security and sealing of the borders. He did not take on Geithner and the ATF. He did not defend Petraeus in Iraq. He stood mute with the firing of McChrystal. He did not challenge the 8 month "surveillance" of Usama.

How angry conservatives are is hilarious. They can't even give a guy who's leaving government any respect.

To the joke of a human being who posted about the greatness of Rumself and all the utter non-issues that were only created by conservatives for purely political reasons, of course Gates didn't speak up, he's not a lying gutless politicians who's only goal in life is to attack the other party and build up big business.

Typical conservatives here, though. No respect for anyone but themselves and their own excuses for failure. It's no wonder they're angry, I can't even fathom how utterly sad that life must be.

The sad thing is, most of the conservatives I know are thoughtful, awesome people. I guess politico just attracts all the trash.

Well, it looks like one of the ONLY adults in Obama's administration is leaving. He has been about the only shinning light in this Presidents epic failure of a Presidency, which has been filled with mostly incompetent, know nothing, screw ups. Gates has proven to be a true leader with the strenght, insight, and knowledge needed in Washington. Wish he had ran for President instead of the dud we got in Obama. Mr. Gates, your service to this country has been very much appreciated, Thank you.